Most gyms if not all that I have been a member of or worked in as a trainer have certain policies in place to keep order and the environment safe. Being a stickler when it comes to certain protocols as far as safety and order is concerned, I'm all for gym policies. There is one that specifically comes to mind, the no cell phone policy. Is it me or has the gym floor become the central hub of a switch board operation? The use and abuse of cell phones on the gym floor has gotten way out of hand. Correct me if I'm wrong but the purpose of going to the gym last I checked was to workout, is it not? What else could be more important? It's not so much the brief conversations that bother me, as in to say hi, I can't talk now, I'm at the gym. That is tolerably fine but it's the extensive frivolity,duration and volume of some of the conversations I over hear that gets me the most. I could share some of them but we would be here a while.
She was on the tread mill of all places. I refer to her as she because it would be rude of me to publicly call her what I would have liked to call her. When it comes to adhering to guidelines established by certain organizations for obvious reasons, blatent disregard to others, and the safety of members rank high on my list of priorities to address immediately! Granted we all have to pick our battles. In such cases as these I'd like to reffer to myself as an opportunist. Not in the sense I seek out every person at the gym who over step the boundaries of policies to harass them, but to dutifully remind those who with out fail some how conveniently choose to take over site that such procedures are set in place not only for the regard and safety of all parties within harms way but primarily the offender themselves. Do these people not read their membership contracts or see the various signs posted all over the gym informing them when and where certain behaviors are not allowed? I always give those in such cases the opportunity to take note their inconsiderateness is inappropriate, not to mention potentially dangerous with all due respect.
Now that I can breathe a sigh of relief, back to the scenario I was about to share with you, the lady I fore mentioned previously. There she was last row, by the window, way in the back of the gym on the tread mill. Usually when members migrate here with their blackberries it is their premeditated yet feble attempt to seem inconspicuous of the fact they are talking on the phone. The person I speak of in particular was not inconspicuous in the least. In addition too her pink LuLu Lemon jump suit, she was loud rude and obnoxious to the point, I being employed as a veteran trainer was called upon by at least two if not three members to sieze and disist the offender immediately. "Excuse me miss". I politely gestured to indicate behind her, take note of the sign over her head. She, I still say she, for obvious reason, with the look of outrage on her face, pulled one ear bud from her ear. "I'm on the phone"! I pointed to the sign behind her again. "I know, that brings me to the sign behind you indicating the no cell phone policy". She rolled her eyes and continued with her phone conversation. Where by I heard her reply to me as, yep you guessed it, something rude and derogatory. She called me an a-hole! I thought to myself, this could get ugly. At that moment a war had been waged and there was no signs of a white flag being thrown on the field. A side tackle was about to ensue.
I could have taken that phone and shoved it in the back pocket of her obnoxious, pink, LuiLu Lemon jump suit. She had some fricken nerve! Given the nature of my temper in such case, I had to reason with myself to decide to take a more diplomatic approach to not retaliate with the same rudeness and disregard. I deplored to call for back up. A higher ranking authority was without a doubt in need. Not only was "she" rude but verbally abrasive. The line had been crossed and I was in demand of justice and respect! Unlike me to do so but in this case I was reduced to being a nark. It was that or being terminated for strangling a member. To my joyous satisfaction the offender was absconded by the general manager and asked to subit her cell phone or leave the gym. She left in a huff. I would never say it aloud but I was thinking it in my head. Good ridens!! B**ch!
By
WiL Turner

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As Trainer, WiL hails from the south. He has lived and worked as a professional trainer in Austin Texas, Orlando Florida, Atlanta Georgia, St Louis MO and New York. His training and fitness expertise spans the course of 15 years. As the founder of Fusion 40 Fitness and developer of Evolution Health and Wellness Program, WiL leads the way in developing innovative fitness programs that address the whole individual in mind, body and spirit. When it comes to long term health and fitness, WiL offer this advice. Less is more and Planning is everything! Fitness is for everyone, fitness is a way of life, fitness is an investment with immeasurable returns.